Section Clips Are the Hair Tool You Didn't Know You Needed

You can rely on them to keep hair straight, make it curly, or help construct a more complicated style. (And if the cool models are using them backstage, it's probably time to pay attention.) Here, an expert explains why you should be stocking up on section clips, plus how to use them best!

Want to make styling your hair easier? Buy yourself some section clips. You've probably already seen them at your go-to salon or Snapped backstage at Fashion Week. The really good news: There's a type of section clip out there for every hair length and texture.

The sturdy section clip's ability to help prep and hold styles is what has made it so popular for top hairstylists who need to work quickly and efficiently before runway shows and red carpet events.

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Stylist Rachelle Hawkins, who names Gigi Hadid as a client, is well aware of how useful and versatile these hair tools can really be. Here, she shares three of the best ways to use section clips.

Trick No. 1: Tame Your Bangs

One way to keep your fringe from going askew is clipping them into cooperation, especially when you want to cut your own bangs. Hawkins suggests using clips to assist you in determining your desired bang length. Bend hair at various spots and add a clip each time, so you can take a look at the options without your fingers blocking the view. Then, use the clips to help hold hair in place so you can trim with precision. These tricks will help you avoid a case of bangs remorse. You can also place section clips on different parts of your hair to keep strands straight and to smooth down flyaways.

To avoid hair creasing, pros improvise by placing playing cards, sheets of paper, and other flat surfaces between the hair and clips. Photograph courtesy Francoise G. Durand/Getty Images

Trick No. 2: Achieve the Perfect Blowout

Models wait to rehearse for the fall 2016 Christian Dior couture show in Paris with section clips holding down their styles. Photograph courtesy of Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

An at-home blowout no longer has to be a difficult, tiring process. Hawkins suggests using clips to break your hair into sections. "Section off the crown at the top of your head, then separate more pieces on the sides and in the back," she says. "Clamp the clips to create horizontal sections and take each one down as you dry the designated areas, piece by piece." This method will ensure that all strands are dry and styled properly.

Trick No. 3: Create Long-Lasting Curls

Clips also come in handy when using a curling iron. "When you're ready to curl, section hair into the pieces you aren't going to style yet, so they stay securely on your head," Hawkins says. While you're getting ready, clip curled hair into an O-shape and then release when you're ready to go.